I think of myself as a creative person, but it’s very hard for me to envision the execution of an idea without something tangible.

My mom, my wedding planner Kathy and I had researched and debated all kinds of décor possibilities for the Four Seasons ballroom, yet I was left feeling utterly confused about what might work best within the room. It wasn’t until we got into the ballroom a few weeks ago that the ideas came to life, and I was able to come to some decisions.Read more »

One of the many inspiration boards Kristy brought to her meeting with her florist.

There’s something about flowers that I’ve always loved. They remind me of the change of seasons, they bring life into your home, and they smell amazing. You’d think with all my admiration I’d know a thing or two about them, but I don’t. So when it came time to meet with our florist, I was a bit intimidated.

In preparation, I became a Pintrest addict, pinning anything floral and yellow. Besides boutonnieres and bouquets, we decided to incorporate flowers in our centerpieces, add a little formality to our ceremony with them, and jazz up our cocktail tables with their beauty. Because these three parts of our wedding change in both scenery and atmosphere, we wanted the flowers to keep consistency throughout the day.

Choosing our florist was an easy decision thanks to my cousin and bridesmaid, Colleen. She works for an amazing event-planning company with in-house florists, called Eventricity. It was a no-brainer because they do superb work, and I completely trust them (and my cousin!) in doing a fabulous job.Read more »

Kind of like how our astrological signs supposedly say something about us, traditionally, all of the major flower blooms out there have carried a certain symbolic meaning with them, too.

Some brides like to pay attention to this when working with their florist on what blooms will go into their bridal bouquet. (Kate Middleton chose traditional nuptial blooms of stephanotis, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth and ivy, for instance, because of their meanings—even if we still think this is what her bouquet should have looked like.) And if you’re looking to make sure there’s some sort of meaning behind most of your wedding-day choices, this is a really sweet way to do that.

Just how each sign’s personality traits tend to differ slightly depending on who you ask or what you read, so it goes with this. But it’s still fun! Take a look at this slideshow of some of the most popular wedding-day blooms and their meanings, and then chat with your florist about your faves for your Big Day. It’ll be just a little something extra tied to the memory of what you carried down the aisle on that day.

Have you looked into what certain flowers mean in trying to choose which ones will go into your bridal bouquet?

Not that we think you should put your wedding in a box, of course. But chances are you at least have a feeling when it comes to your Big Day: Will it be a swanky formal affair in a candlelit room with a marble rotunda? An airy soiree where your guests sip cool drinks from mason jars with fields of wildflower-dotted wheat in the background and cotton-candy clouds overhead? Whatever your vision for your wedding day, we’re here to help you plan it. In the following pages, you’ll find ideas for five different types of weddings—not just for gorgeous venues in the Philadelphia area, but for your flowers, gown, cake and bridesmaids’ dresses, all from local vendors and shops. Just find the one that feels like you, and you’re on your way.

One of our favorite before-and-after shots of Papertini's bouquet-preserving services.

So, yeah, we love this.

We’ve seen many a dried bridal bouquet displayed in a glass vase or a glass case or a glass dome and various other vessels, and they’re always pretty—they’re dried flowers, after all, and obviously, they’re more than that. They’re a pretty significant tangible memento of a pretty spectacular day.

We can’t get enough of the grown-up takes on flower-girl crowns that graced the runways last spring. And we can’t think of a florist who could better turn our favorite high-fashion trend into wearable reality than Philly’s Sullivan Owen.

To Owen—who draws inspiration from the season’s color stories and silhouettes—a floral headpiece is the perfect (and unique) topper to any wedding-day ensemble. She’ll want to get a sense of your whole look (dress, shoes, jewelry) in order to create a one-of-a-kind design that suits your style—be it a trailing comb of all-white blooms, a colorful avant-garde headdress, or an effortlessly bohemian fresh-flower wreath. — Bridget Salmons

So I met with my florist Rhoads Garden for the first time on Saturday. Three hours later, I walked out of our meeting totally spent. I completely underestimated what picking out wedding flowers would entail.

We began by discussing color palette through the photos I had cut out from magazines and Pinterest, which we proceeded to spread in a wild arrangement across the table—fully canvassing the surface. Also thrown into the mix was the swatch of fabric from my bridesmaid dresses.Read more »

It recently occurred to me that I have a little over five months to go before my wedding. As I came to this realization, I felt a sense of both excitement and shock. It went something like this: YAY! Our wedding is SO SOON! …YIKES! Our wedding is so soon!

My experience with wedding planning at first was very hurry, hurry, hurry: Hurry up and make a guest list. Hurry up and find a venue/caterer. Hurry up and take engagement photos so that you can make and send your get save-the-dates. I think I was out of breath for the first three months of our engagement.Read more »